Hotel Samara Pacific Lodge

We returned after a couple of years and after one night in a poolside room returned to our favourite one which is comfortable and lets us look out to the farmland. The pasture is filled with varied livestock during the day and at night there are sounds for birders like me: pygmy owls, lapwings, pauraques. There is a handy store close by and sodas down the road to the local beach and also buenavista. soda perla is enroute to the closer beach, about 20 minutes walk, but both were good. we used to enjoy gourmet meals on the upper deck of the lodge, sadly that is no more although one can get paninis or pizzas. My wife is vegetarian and wasn't eating bread and they kindly came up with a custom meal with cheese and tomatoes etc for her. We used to love the tranquil walk to and from playa buenavista before and after sunset. However, the area has built up and there was a near constant roaring of atv's stirring up the dust now and taking away that tranquility. Also, the forest path across the road has now been gated and locked. Nonetheless, the pool is nice, the staff great and the location continues to serve us well.

Chillaxin’ vibes at this place. Helpful hospitable staff. The minimalist rooms are clean and tidy. Shaded seating around the hotel pool gives relief from sunny hot days.. Ronald did a great job everyday serving breakfast to our large group. His professionalism is exemplary. We stayed in The Villa with a full kitchen and living area; great space for a group.

Whenever I experience an issue at a hotel, I prefer to solve it directly at the property, because it’s not fair to leave a bad review without notifying anything to the staff members. But it seems like for this specific case the only way to pass on feedback that is actually considered is here. So here’s my feedback for you to improve your customer service experience. I stayed 3 nights with my family and husband. The rooms were nice and relatively clean. The pool is nice. If it wasn’t for the way I was treated at the end, I would recommend the property. When my husband and I arrived to the room, there was water on the bathroom floor everywhere. So I notified the reception and maintenance came relatively quickly to check it out. The issue could not be solved on the spot, so I was told that a bucket was needed under the sink for the night, we would need to manually open and close and they would come and fix it in the morning. No problem. The next day maintenance came and we were told that the issue was fixed. It appeared to be the case in the afternoon, but in the evening when we came back after dinner there was water on the floor again. It was quite late, reception was closed so we decided not to bother security and used the hotel provided beach towels to dry up the floor for the night. The next morning, we notified reception again, who apologized for the inconvenience and assured me that maintenance would be sent again to fix the issue. When we came back, the issue had been fixed. The sink was changed and it appeared not to be leaking any more. However, the very wet towels we had used to dry the floor were left hanging in the bathroom, letting water on the floor. And there were traces of the glue used to install the sink on the floor, around the sink and on my husband’s toiletry items. These are not huge issues but they are quite inconvenient. On the last morning we went to check out and, when presented the bill for the 4 bottles of water we had taken from the bar, I asked if it they could be complementary as a compensation for the issues we had with the water in our bathroom. We were told that it wasn’t possible. That we should have asked the day before so the receptionist would have had the time to ask the owner. That the receptionist would have to pay out of his own pocket if he did that and he could not make such a decision. While I was trying to say what happened, the receptionist was trying to say how the issue was fixed, interrupting me and trying to give explanations rather than listening. So in the end, I left quite upset and definitely wont be coming back. Had I been offered a small gesture (even just one bottle of water for free!) I could have probably left a 4 star review. So here are some recommendations for the management or owners of the property to make sure that other clients don’t have the same experience. 1. Be proactive- don’t wait for a client to ask you for a small compensation when there is an issue. Offer it. It can be as simple as a bottle of water or a coffee but it will make a big difference. 2. Make your clients feel listened. Don’t interrupt your clients while they are talking (yes, I was interrupted while talking at least a couple of times). Don’t laugh at them (yes, I did feel like I was being made fun of). Listen first. Then try to fix the issue. 3. Take responsibility. Don’t blame the fact that you can’t make a decision to explain to your client that you can’t give what you asked for. 4. Empower your employees to make decisions. These are small issues that can be fixed. Allow your employees to fix certain issues by themselves to ensure happy clients. I hope my feedback helps you.

We spent two nights at villa on our motorcycle trip. We enjoyed the villa a lot ! Crew was really friendly and helpful, they making the best cocktails for us and being funny, makes it more enjoyable ! Pool is nicely maintained with a deep end. Breakfast was good, compared to the other 9 hotels where we stayed on our trip. On my next trip to CR I will definitely booking that hotel again !

We spent 4 nights here and enjoyed our stay very much. The hotel is clean and the breakfast was very good.|We had everything you need for a stay with children.|The staff has always helped us with questions and tips and was always very accommodating and helpful.

We had a lovely 6 night stay here in February 2024. The rooms are basic but clean and comfortable. We had a family room for 6 of us and it worked really well. The staff were wonderful to deal with, helped us book activities and offered advice. Pool was a little on the cold side which was great after the hot sun. Breakfast, which was included, was really good. We really enjoyed our stay here and loved Samara.

We stayed here for 6 nights while our kids attended Mareas Academy (4 minute walk, great opportunity for kids to attend a local school for a week or more). We had connecting rooms (room #7) that had included 3 rooms, 4 beds, mini fridge, 2 bathrooms and a view of the pool. It also included a large, private balcony overlooking scenic countryside - grazing cows, horses and even a peacock. A full, made-to-order breakfast is included and is so filling, we skipped lunch most days. We LOVED the coffee. The location is on a dirt road but they spray the road with a molasses solution to prevent dust settling on the hotel. Wifi is just in the common areas, but they have nice sofas and tables. We saw howler monkeys, iguanas and a lot of birds. I recommend ear plugs for sleeping as the monkeys and birds are early risers (you'll find this most places in Costa Rica). Friendly staff, clean rooms, big pool. Great value!

This is a fine resort just outside the busy center of Samara (5 min drive offroad). We had a room directly at the pool which had something special. The room itself was not so big with a bunk bed in the first room, a 2p bed and some closets in the next room and then a separate bath room (with a nice big shower). It was good that the beds were separated but the airco was in the second room and it was therefore not so easy to get the kids room at the same cool temperature. At the back is a small terrace with a table and some chairs. Same is true for the front of the room, at the swimming pool. The swimming pool itself is quite big and the water is warm, while in the water you see the monkeys going through the trees. |Breakfast and dinner are in the same restaurant. You have the standard choice for breakfast (typical, pancakes, toast, eggs, fruit, etc.) and it was all well prepared with good coffee. We also had dinner there (although the evening restaurant is separate from the hotel) and we enjoyed it very much. The cocktails were really good. |Staff of the hotel and restaurant was very friendly and helpful.